Hey Readers — See below. Is this happening in your neck of the woods, too? In New York City, schools have been closed for elections for as long as I can remember, so I don’t feel it is in response to any kind of new fear. But in this school district, perhaps it is. The day is devoted to “professional development,” so it’s not called, “Scared Out of Our Gourds” day. – L Dear Free-Range Kids: I just learned my kids’ school district in Lees Summit MO is closed Tuesday. This way they don’t have to worry about strangers voting…
Author: lskenazy
Readers — This is an excerpt from an article in the family issue of Real Simple that’s on the stands now. Read the whole piece here. Help for Overprotective Parents by Jennifer Breheny Wallace A couple of years ago, my then five-year-old son William took a standardized test in which he was asked about everyday objects. The tester noted his unusual responses to some questions. When asked “What do candy and ice cream have in common?” William replied, “They both give you cavities.” For the question “What is chewing gum?” William answered, “A choking hazard.” I was raised by risk-averse…
Readers — Remember, our new motto here is “PERCEPTION IS NOT REALITY.” I coined it out of dismay at the way even made-up threats and freakish fears can prompt real-world changes to life and legislation. Here’s the latest, mind-boggling example. It comes to us from London (Canada) Free Press reporter Kelly Pedro: School Board Says Pupils Can’t Walk Alone To or From Their Portable [Classroom] During the Day by Kelly Pedro Is 60 metres too far for a 12-year-old to walk alone during the day in a school yard? Apparently so. On the heels of a reported incident at one…
Readers — I am really sick of “Good Samaritans” who are actually smug, judgmental crazy cases who imagine terrible things happening to children ANY time the parents are not looking straight at them every single second of every single day. Those folks are WRONG but think they are RIGHT, and sometimes even get the authorities on their side. (Sometimes they even get commenters on their side. Horrrors!) — L Dear Free-Range Kids: I consider myself a happy medium between Free-Range and helicopter. Due to having a son with autism and a son with life-threatening food allergies I cannot always…
Readers — Emergency crews sped to a school in Brooklyn Wednesday after a kid sprayed Axe in room full of sixth graders. EMS transported eight students to the hospital, according to The NY Daily News (where I used to work!). Of course, if Axe fumes were really as dangerous as all that, I should be dead. I live in an apartment with my teenage sons. — L.
Our Post-Halloween survey asked if you had allowed your children to eat unwrapped or homemade treats, and if so — were they still breathing. So, three revelations! 1 – 87% of respondents DID allow their kids unwrapped/homemade treats! Woo hoo! Score one for anti-hysteria! 2 – Of those kids, um…a reported 86% were still breathing. Now, I feel like a scientist who has to explain some unexpected results, but rather than obfuscating, let me just say: Ha. Ha. I am learning something about public surveys. 3 – Despite that grain of salt, it looks like I’ll be signing up for…
Hi Readers! This is my first Survey Monkey survey. Basically, I want to see how it works. If I get a ton of responses, I’ll upgrade to the “unlimited” version. But first…let’s just try this one. Bear with me. I may have to pose the same question again. – L. Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.
Okay, folks, at the risk of being hoaxed/not-hoaxed or whatever again, I present you with a seemingly real report about a seemingly far-fetched fear: Medical marijuana candy. Wouldn’t you hoard this stuff if it was yours? On the other hand, it certainly gives a new meaning to Mary Janes. – L.
Hi Readers! The same gal who alerted me to the story of the lady giving out letters, not candy, to “moderately obese” trick or treaters has just sent me this story saying the woman might not actually exist. I hope she doesn’t! But I’m also sorry for posting about it here. I guess I got a trick not a treat, that time. To deal with my shame, I will now go eat a mini Milky Way. Or three. — L
Readers — We take a break from reminding you to remind everyone else that Halloween is a safe, good holiday (not a candy-poisoning, child-snatching BAD holiday) to bring you two newspaper stories that I just loved: *This one by Bonnie Rubin is on the front page of today’s Chicago Tribune, about the rise of “Trunk or Treat,” and quotes yours truly: …[Skenazy’s] all for bike helmets, seat belts and reflective gear, but not X-raying candy. “This holiday is about kids practicing being grown-ups,” Skenazy said. “One night a year, they get to dress up and go out … at night.…